On Sunday, six local rescue puppies will represent DC in the most gripping sports championship game of the year: Puppy Bowl XIII. Four rescue dogs from Operation Paws for Homes in Alexandria and two from City Dogs Rescue in DC will go nose-to-nose to tear up the turf in hopes of winning the inaugural “Lombarky” trophy.
“Tail”-gating starts at 2 PM with analysis from “Rodt Weiler,” plus locker room interviews for insight into pre-game rituals. At 3 PM, the unreliable weather forecaster—and groundhog—Punxsutawney Phil will make a special appearance to officiate the coin toss. Game highlights include glimpses of the iconic water bowl cam and the sloppy kiss cam. Cheerleading rescue rabbits are sure to throw up some spirit paws, while Surge the Hamster will spin his wheel to nowhere to power the scoreboard.
Other notable guests include Meep the Bird, an African gray parrot who will live tweet throughout the game (@MeepTheBird). The Kitty Halftime Show features a performance of Kitty Gaga singing “Puparazzi” to her little monsters of adoptable kittens, sure to be the best lip-synch performance of the day.
“People enjoy the break from reality,” says City Dogs Rescue’s Patricia Kennedy. “They turn on the TV, grab a snack, and watch some puppies push a football down the field.”After the game’s over, everyone’s a winner when the puppies find their forever homes.